Joe Kleon Interviews Neal Smith

Joe Kleon Interviews Neal Smith

This interview was conducted in two parts. The first on February 14, 2005 and the second on February 21, 2005.
The entire interview is posted here and clocks in at over TWO HOURS!

It is a first hand and in-depth look into Alice Cooper and how they changed the world of rock music.

This interview was originally recorded for a radio special. Special thanks to Neal for his time
and for permission to post the interview here. Visit Neal's website at www.nealsmith.com.
I am posting the interview here to share with the fans. It is an amazing look into the
first eight albums and the legend that is Alice Cooper.

DOWNLOAD THE COMPELTE 2 HOUR INTERVIEW BELOW:

Segment 1 Neal talks about growing up in Northeast Ohio, his beginnings as a musician,
surviving polio, going to school, and relocating to Phoenix. Time 10:42 (24.5 MB)

Segment 2 - Neal talks about his college band "Holy Grail," meeting the people who would become the original
Alice Cooper lineup, becoming friends with Glen Buxton and being amazed that he grew up in the same area. He
talks about the early days of The Nazz, joining the band in October of 1967, jamming in the desert,
how some of those jams became the genesis for Pretties For You, how the band became involved with Frank Zappa,
auditioning for Frank, recording Pretties For You, touring with Zappa, and more. Time 11:31 (26.3 MB)

Segment 3 - Neal talks about how the band's stage show evolved, recording Pretties For You, meeting
Jefferson Airplane in the studio, the band relocating to Pontiac, Michigan, and more. Time 8:09 (18.6 MB)

Segment 4 - Neal talks about relocating to Pontiac, Zappa selling his record label to Warner Brothers,
becoming involved with Warner Brothers, meeting Bob Ezrin, how the song "I'm Eighteen" kept the label
from dropping the band and how that single catapulted the band into the national spotlight. Time 10:00 (22.8 MB)

Segment 5 - Neal talks about touring, the vibe of Love It To Death, the influence of Bob Ezrin,
the famous "chicken incident," the huge media blitz that followed, protests, and more. Time 13:17 (30.4 MB)

Segment 6 - Neal talks about touring to support Love It To Death, the band's first trip to Europe,
and the early use of props during live performances. Time 10:16 (23.5 MB)

Segment 7 - Neal talks about his best and worst concert experiences, how a giant terradactyl
collapsed on him during a show, playing in Brazil to over 125,000 people and setting the indoor
attendance record, the complete craziness of that show, how the band was a target for the
police and other authorities, and the band's second tour of Europe. Time 9:53 (22.6 MB)

Segment 8 - Neal talks about the release of School's Out, the band finally breaking in New York
and Los Angeles, a New York show at the Fillmore East, and Glen Buxton's huge
influence on School's Out. Time 11:26 (26.1 MB)

Segment 9 - Neal talks about recording Billion Dollar Babies, the band relocating to Connecticut,
the movie "Good To See You Again," how Glen did not play anything on Billion Dollar babies and
Muscle Of Love, how this led to the band taking a year off and recording solo projects, and how
the band never fully got back together again. Time 14:55 (34.1 MB)

Segment 10 - Neal talks about touring for Muscle of Love, becoming involved with The Plasmatics,
playing with the band at the second annual Glen Buxton Memorial, and more. Time 10:06 (23.2 MB)

Segment 11 - Neal talks about playing in his hometown during the early days of the band,
the Dead Ringer project, and recording with Bruce Cameron, alongside Jack Bruce, Mitch Mitchell,
and Buddy Miles, and more. Time 11:21 (26.1 MB)